LA Tower Becomes Tallest Building West of the Mississippi River

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A 160-foot spire is seen atop the Wilshire Grand Tower building after a crane hoisted it into place early Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in downtown Los Angeles. The 10-ton spire makes the building the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. It's now 1,099 feet high, 81 feet higher than the nearby U.S. Bank Tower, which held the tallest building record since 1989.

A 10-ton spire was placed atop the Wilshire Grand Tower in downtown Los Angeles Saturday morning, officially making it the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.

Construction workers and onlookers watched from below as a crane slowly lifted the final section of spire into place at about 7 a.m. atop the 73-story tower on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street.

The $1 billion hotel/office complex, being developed by Korean Air, is about 85 percent finished. Scheduled to be completed next year, it is 1,100 feet high with the spire included, taller than the nearby U.S. Bank Tower, which tops out at 1,018 feet and had been the tallest building west of the Mississippi since it opened in 1989.

"The Wilshire Grand is an important part of the economic resurgence that is transforming L.A.'s skyline and has created 122,000 new jobs across our city," Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "I congratulate the project team on reaching this milestone, and look forward to seeing the tallest building west of the Mississippi open its doors next year.''

"The Wilshire Grand is not only the tallest building in the West, it's an entertainment destination that will represent the very best of what downtown Los Angeles has to offer," said City Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents the downtown area.